Messi makes MLS history with back-to-back Golden Boot awards

Lionel Messi inspired Inter Miami to a thrilling victory with two assists as the club secured home advantage for the opening two rounds of the MLS playoffs.

Although the Argentine superstar failed to score at Miami’s Nu Stadium, he delivered two assists from corner kicks to help his team establish a strong position ahead of the playoffs.

Messi’s 26 goals this season also earned him the MLS Golden Boot award for a second consecutive year, making him the first player to win the honour in back-to-back seasons.

Petar Musa of FC Dallas finished second in the scoring race with 22 goals, despite failing to find the net in his side’s 3-1 home victory over Colorado.

Inter Miami appeared to be cruising after Ian Fray, Luis Suarez and Rodrigo De Paul scored three first-half goals.

However, Liel Abada struck twice shortly after the break to spark a comeback before Rodolfo Aloko scored a late goal to complete the fightback.

Runaway overall leaders Nashville broke the all-time MLS points record for a season with a whopping 77 after beating Cincinnati 2-0. At 23-3 with eight drawn, Nashville won the East and broke the mark of 74 points set by Miami in 2024.

Miami finished second in the East on 60 points as third-place New England failed to take advantage of Inter’s draw with a surprise 1-0 loss at Orlando to end on 58.

Messi’s men will face Columbus to begin the MLS playoffs. Other East matchups send New England against Philadelphia, Charlotte against Chicago and top seed Nashville against the wild-card winner, Orlando or Cincinnati.

Columbus took advantage of the Cincinnati loss with a 4-3 victory at Chicago to finish seventh and avoid the wild card round.

At Miami, Messi’s 14th-minute corner fell unexpectedly to Charlotte’s Luca de la Torre, who spooned it up for Fray to open the scoring.

Another Messi corner in the 33rd minute found Suarez wide open at the near post. The Uruguayan glanced in his header for 2-0.

De Paul made it three before halftime, but Abada pulled back a goal for the visitors early and bagged a second in the 55th minute.

In the 90th, Aloko bagged the equalizer, responding first to the ball as Smalls’s shot ricocheted off the post.

A visibly frustrated Messi hit the post in stoppage time before Aloko came inches from bagging an unlikely winner with a thunderous shot into the outside netting.

– Seattle, Real advance –

Western Conference champion Vancouver beat Canadian rivals Montreal 2-0 to finish second overall, giving the Whitecaps a home-field edge if they should face Inter Miami in a rematch of last year’s MLS Cup final.

There were six teams fighting for the last three Western Conference playoff spots on “Decision Day” with every MLS squad on the pitch.

Portland, Colorado and the Los Angeles Galaxy needed only to win to secure a playoff berth but only Portland did so, the Timbers winning 2-0 at Austin while Real Salt Lake beat the Galaxy 2-1 and Colorado fell at Dallas, which allowed Real into the post-season.

Seattle claimed the other spot with a 2-1 home win over Los Angeles FC. Albert Rusnak scored in the first minute and assisted on Sebastian Gomez’s goal in the 31st for seattle and Eddie Segura’s response in the 82nd minute was too little too late.

Minnesota beat visiting San Jose 3-1 but joined the Galaxy a point shy of the last-in Real Salt Lake.

Opening Western Conference playoff pairings find Vancouver against the Seattle-Salt Lake wildcard winner, Dallas against Portland, LAFC against St. Louis and Houston against San Jose.

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